By Victor Okoye
Abuja, March 17, 2025 (NAN) Ibrahim Babayo, the Captain of the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja has called for the strict adherence to the rule of law by all stakeholders with regards to the ongoing dispute at the club.
He said the club constitution should not be selectively applied as it is the guiding pillars for peaceful and orderly conduct in the club. He emphasized that golf is a game of rules, and golfers are disciplined people who observe all the rules.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IBB International Golf and Country Club, located in Abuja, is a prominent recreational and tourist attraction.
With its 101-hectare golf course, 25 bridges, and stunning views of Aso Rock, it’s a beloved destination for golf enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.
The club has been independent of government subvension since 2004 (21 years) and was issued a C of O in 2011 by the approval of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR. He stated that all statutory payments to FCTA have been paid up to date.
IBB Golf and Country Club is not different from many golf clubs in Nigeria that were developed by the government and later handed over to the members of various clubs to manage. He said over 70% of golf courses in Nigeria were built with taxpayers’ money, therefore, nobody or a group of people can appropriate it to himself or themselves.
He said the occurence of the last weekend was unfortunate as the information acted upon was not correct.
The closure on Saturday was aimed to disrupt an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), which was scheduled for the election of the BOT in line with the club constitution, and Company and Allied Matter Act(CAMA).
It is important to state that at the last Annual General meeting 2024, a BOT Selection Committee was appointed by members and given terms of reference to fill the vacancies in the BOT. The committee had finished their work and was at the point of presenting its report for the proper conduct of an election on Saturday the 15th of March 2025 before the club was shut down by security agencies subsequently preventing the scheduled EGM from holding.
He said in line with the club constitution, AGM is held in April of every year with three major objectives.
1- To receive the audit financial report of the previous year.
2- To elect new Executive Committee for another one year
3- To place before the AGM any motion duly proposed by the members.
He said this provision of the constitution had been followed for over 20 years.
During the AGM of 2014, a committee was set up to review the constitution of the club in line with the corporate governance code for transparency and accountability.
This was successfully done in 2014 but implementation and registration of the new constitution was stalled by the chairman of the BOT simply because a clause concerning tenure and age limits that affected him as a person. The clause removed life membership from the BOT and reduced it to 5 years tenure, which may be renewed only once.
This is the main bone for contention, as by the passage of that constitution, the Chairman ceases to be a member of the BOT.
Babayo streched that even the constitution that predates the registration of the 2014 reviewed constitution had provided for how the BOT members should be appointed. Which by the members at the general meeting in line with the relevant section of the CAMA.
· It is important to state that for a very long time, the BOT was not able to form a quorum to make major decisions for the club. This has lowered the standard of the club and stagnate the development of the club. Out of 8 BOT members, two had passed away, and another 2 have not been to the club for over 12 years because of age and other reasons. Most of the time, only 2 members of the BOT would be at the meeting, and the Chairman would do everything to prevent the members from filling the existing vacancies in line with the club constitution.
He explained that the situation had led to failure of corporate governance, stagnation of the development of the club and loss of funds for a very long time as the BOT was unable to form a quorum to make major decisions for the club.
The captain further explained that at the last AGM in 2024, a BOT Selection Committee was appointed by members and given terms of reference to fill the vacancies in the BOT.
He said the committee had finished their work and was at the point of presenting its report for the proper conduct of an election on that Saturday.
He urged all aggreived parties to follow the process and the constitution of the club and be guided by the rule of law as well as a proper corporate governance structure.
He stressed that there was virtually no way that anybody could appropriate any section or even a square inch of the IBB Golf Club as it is the sole property of the club and a national asset as well.
He quoted clause 32.1 and 32.2 of the club constitution as thus:
Clause 32.1:
” The income and property of the club SHALL be applied towards the promotion of the objects of the club as set forth in this constitution and NO PART thereof shall be paid or transfered directly or indirectly by way of bonus, dividend or otherwise howsoever by way of profit to members of the club.”
Clause 32.2:
“…………. No member of the Board of Trustees and/or the Executive Committee of the club shall have proprietary or personal interest in any property of the club or be appointed to salaried office or any office of the club paid in form of fees and no remuneration or other benefits in money shall be given by the club to any member of the BOT and/or the Executive committee…….”
By these clauses of the constitution, it is evident that no person or group of people can claim the ownership of the club even with the C of O allocated. It is also evident that the Executive committee desires corporate governance such that would preserve this national asset. He said this Executive committee and the immediate past have taken many hard decisions to instill discipline. These include the registration of the reviewed constitution, expulsion of members connected with N100m yet to be recovered from a micro finance bank. The friends and allies of the affected members are those instigating the crisis against the exco, dragging the BOT with them.
He said that the club was conducting stakeholders’ engagement, adding that all pending issues would soon be resolved.
“We are a family and intend to unify our club, and we will by the grace of God succeed in becoming one great family again,
“Our aim is to make IBB International Golf and Country club a the number golf tourism destination in Africa, and we intend to do so.
“The amount spent on golf tourism worldwide is in excess of 50 billion dollars, and if we have a small percentage of that coming to Abuja, it is indeed a plus for the country. This is the bigger picture,” he said(NAN)
